An open letter from Working Families

Published: 13 Feb 2026

An open letter in response to recent comments made by Nigel Farage on working from home and flexible working. 

This week, Nigel Farage called an end to what he described as a culture of working from home, arguing that people are more productive when physically present in the office and that the country needs an “attitudinal change” back towards hard work.

We welcome debate about how the UK can boost productivity and build strong, successful businesses. These conversations matter. But this debate must reflect how people live and work today and what employers themselves are telling us works. 

Because for millions of working families and carers across the UK, flexible working is not a lifestyle preference. It is what makes work possible. 

At Working Families, we speak every day to parents and carers trying to stay in work while fulfilling their caring responsibilities at home, whether that’s raising children, caring for disabled relatives or supporting ageing parents. These workers are not asking to work less. They are asking for ways of working that allow them to give their best, both at work and at home. 

And employers are increasingly recognising that this is good business. 

Our 2025 Benchmark Report, which highlights the practices of leading UK employers, shows that flexibility is now embedded in successful business strategy. In 71% of organisations taking part report that more than three-quarters of their employees work flexibly in some form.  

The business benefits are clear. Employers consistently report reduced overheads, improved productivity and better retention. More than three-quarters (78%) say flexible working improves operational effectiveness, and 96% reject the idea that working from home leads to poorer performance. Presenteeism and the idea that commitment is measured by long hours at a desk is rapidly losing credibility.

Flexible working is also critical to recruitment and retention. Our 2025 Working Families Index shows that lack of transparency around flexibility in job adverts actively discourages parents and carers from applying. Over half of parents told us they had not applied for a job because flexibility was not mentioned in the advert, – rising to six in ten parents receiving Universal Credit or Carers Allowance. For many families, flexibility is the difference between staying in work or being forced out. 

This has profound implications for creating a diverse and inclusive workforce. Flexible working allows parents and carers, disabled workers and those managing health conditions to stay and progress in work. It supports fathers who want to play a fuller role in caring for their children, and helps reduce the unequal impact caring responsibilities still have on women’s careers.  

Flexible working supports working parents and carers, not to mention those with health conditions or disabilities, to remain and progress in employment, reducing the loss of experienced talent and helping to close the gender pay gap. 

It is also essential for supporting equal parenting. Our survey of 5,000 working fathers, found that 74% of dads who want to share caring equally fear their requests for flexibility would be met with negativity rooted in stigma. Without genuine support for flexible working, caring responsibilities continue to fall disproportionately on mothers, reinforcing the well-known penalties women face at work after having children. 

None of this means that flexible working is without challenges. Almost half of parents report difficulty maintaining boundaries between work and home life. These findings underline the need for a range of good-quality, well-managed flexible working options. Not a return to rigid, one-size-fits-all models of work. 

Yes, teamwork, collaboration and connections with colleagues’ matter. But these outcomes are not defined by a physical location. They are built through trust, inclusive cultures and good leadership.  

As the UK looks to for ways to boost productivity and get more people into work, employers across the country are already showing that flexible working strengthens organisations and helps people stay and succeed in work. 

This is not about working less. It is about working in ways that allow businesses and families to thrive together. 

So we invite those shaping the national conversation, including Nigel Farage, to look at the evidence and listen to the experiences of today’s workforce. Flexible working is not the problem to solve. It is part of the solution. 

Key facts and evidence: 

• 71% of leading employers say more than three-quarters of their workforce now work flexibly (Working Families 2025 Benchmark Report). 

• Almost all Benchmark employers (96-98%) have had a strategic plan for flexible working in place for the past five years, embedding it into core business strategy. 

• Employers consistently report higher productivity and lower office and business travel costs as the main benefits of flexible working; smaller organisations also cite reduced staff turnover. 

• 78% of employers say flexible working improves operational effectiveness, and 96% reject the claim that working from home lowers performance. 

• Presenteeism is losing ground: 78% disagree that long hours signal commitment, and 71% reject the idea that flexible working benefits individuals more than organisations. 

• Employers are increasingly measuring real estate savings, reduced travel and flexible job advertising, making the business case more visible. 

Why this matters for parents, carers and equality 

• 73% of people not currently working flexibly want to, but lack of transparency in job adverts is holding parents back (Working Families Index 2025). 

• Over half of parents have not applied for a job because flexibility was not mentioned – rising to six in ten parents on Universal Credit or Carers Allowance. 

• 68% of parents stay in their current role because they believe they would not find flexibility elsewhere, underlining its importance for retention. 

• Our Barriers to Equal Parenting research found 74% of fathers fear negative reactions if they ask for flexibility, and 44% believe mothers are more likely to be granted it for childcare. 

• Without flexible working, caring responsibilities continue to fall disproportionately on women, reinforcing the gender pay gap and the motherhood penalty.